Engaging Stakeholders to Circular Economy Ecosystems: A Process Model

Diverse ecosystems aiming for system-level circular innovation require an extensive range of stakeholders who need to be engaged with varying stakeholder engagement processes. However, best practices for managing diverse processes for stakeholder engagement remain underexplored, particularly in circular economy (CE) ecosystems. We provide critically lacking empirical and temporal stakeholder engagement insights by conducting a processual, in-depth analysis of six CE ecosystem cases: company-centered ecosystem, locally-based CE ecosystem, industrial symbiosis, and national-level beverage recycling, nutrient recycling, and construction industry ecosystems. By examining engagement processes displayed via development of stakeholder relationships, communications, and innovating/learning over time, we find and define two distinctive engagement modes: reactive and proactive. We propose a process model for harnessing these modes depending on CE ecosystem's level of organization and intended outcomes. This model and findings contribute to the intersection of circular economy, ecosystem, and stakeholder management research, and support managers engaging stakeholders for developing system-level circular innovation.